Hydraulic motor.



PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907. G. B. FRENCH.

HYDRAULIC MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, 1903.

H SHEBTE-BHBET 1.

atto'zumgo No. 856,858. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

- G. B. FRENCH.

HYDRAULIC MOTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 2a, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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GEORGE B. FRENCH, OF FREMONT, NEBRASKA.

HYDRAULIC MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed March 23,1903. Serial No. 149,115.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. FnENon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fremont, in the county of Dodge and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Motors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements in hydraulic motors, particularly, that class relating to current wheels, being adapted for arrangement in a stream to receive the action of the current.

It has for its object to provide a current Wheel which is simple of construction and efflcient for the purpose for which it is designed.

Said invention consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention: Figure 1 is a plan view, wherein is preferably employed a series of wheels or impellers. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view, disclosing more particularly one of the wheels or impellers. Fig. 3 is a detailed or detached view, showing more fully one of the impeller or wheel shafts. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing one of the shaft bearings.

It Will be understood that latitude is allowed herein as to details, which may be changed as circumstances suggest, without departing from the spirit of my invention, and the same be encompassed by the scope of my invention.

In practicing my invention, I suitably erect or build a wharf 1, along the embankment of the stream, whose current it is designed to utilize, and erect at a suitable distance from said wharf, in said stream, a pier 2, one end of said wharf extending a short distance beyond the plane of the corresponding end of said pier. At said ends of said Wharf and pier is arranged a gate 3, for controlling or regulating the passage of the current to the sluiceway, said gate being thus, as it will be observed, disposed diagonally to the direction of the current to deflect any debris, such as drift or flood-wood, floating ice, etc., away therefrom, further out into the stream, thus preventing the admission of the same to the sluiceway and contact with the wheels or impellers, presently described. Said gate is constructed, preferably, as shown, being produced of tongued and grooved boards secured in a suitable frame, with the lateral portions of said frame adapted to engage and slide in grooves suitably produced in said ends of said wharf and .pier, said grooves being, preferably, formed of angle castings 5 let into said wharf and pier ends, or held in place in any other practical way. Extending about centrally of said gate, in a vertical direction, is a rack 4, with which is adapted to engage a pinion or toothed wheel 5, whose shaft 5 is suitably journaled in bearings 5" suitably supported in position, said shaft having secured thereto a hub or disk 6*, having its sockets adapted to receive a hand bar orv lever 6, by the actuation of which, said shaft, With its pinion, is adapted to be turned, and thus effect the raising and lowering of the sluice gate, as occasion may require. Arranged within said sluice is a number of wheels or impellers S, with their shafts 8 journaled in bearings 9, adjustably connected by suitable bolts 10 to opposite uprights or bars 10, secured to the upper and lower timbers of the framework of the sluice. Said uprights have additional bolt receiving openings S thercthrough, for the subsequent reception or insertion of the bolts l0 of the bearings 9, as the impellers or floats are adjusted to accommodate the latter to the depth of the water as the tide rises and falls. Said impellers or floats, with their shafts, are arranged at suitable intervals apart in a posi tion to enable their respective blades or floats to receive the action of the current on that portion of the stream directed through the sluiceway, said shafts being adapted to be connected up together in any suitable way for transmitting power to the machinery to be driven. Each of said impellers or floats comprises a series of blades or floats proper 11, extending in a general radial direction from said shaft and consisting of a series of concavoconvex arms 11, with their inner ends let into disk or hub portions 11 secured to said shaft, and of correspomlingly shaped metal plates secured to said arms, thus pro-' ing suitably secured thereon cylindric jour IIO nals 11, resting in the shaft bearings 9. Also connected up with end lateral arms, at their concave and convex edges respectively, are what may be termed shrouds or lateral plates 11 to aid the action of the current upon the floats and to brace the float carrying arms. The connections between said arms, said shrouds, and the plates, forming in part the blades or floats, is effected, preferably, in common, by the same bolts or fastenings, as shown. Said arms are also, preferably, connected together, near their outer ends, by rods or braces 11, the connection between said braces and arms also being effected, preferably, by the same bolts or fastenings securing the aforesaid parts to said arms. Said rods may be replaced by a copper, or other wire, connected up with said arms in any practical way, as may be desired.

It is also obvious that in the arrangement of the sluice-way in the main channel, when near the middle of the stream, the wharf would be substituted by the use of a pier and foundations consisting of two piers, either one ofwhich may be built with one end higher up the stream than the other, or there may be two gates with a central pier, which, with said gates, would form an apex to divide the current and thus turn or divert that portion of the stream, not entering the sluice, both to the right and left.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a hydraulic motor, a current wheel or impeller comprising a shaft having a series of radial-concavo-convex platesgorgfloats, each plate or float consisting of lateral arms extending out from said shaft, plates secured to said arms, lateral plates or shrouds secured to the outer arms of said floats and adapted to partially inclose the space between the ends of two adjoining floats at the ends of the wheel.

2. In a hydraulic motor of the character described, a current wheel or impeller comprising a shaft suitably j ournaled in position and having a series of concavo-convex radial arms, a plate secured to said arms, lateral plates also secured to said arms, said arms also connected together by braces secured thereto, near their outer ends.

3. In a hydraulic motor of the character described, a current wheel or impeller comprising, a shaft, hubs or disks having sockets therein secured upon said shaft, cylindric journals also applied to said shaft, a series of concavo-convex radial arms secured in the sockets of said disk, and suitably braced together, said arms being provided with correspondingly shaped plates or blades and lateral plates secured to the outer arms of said blades and partially inclosing the spaces be tween the ends of adjoining plates or blades at the ends of the wheel.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE B. FRENCH. Witnesses:

ARTHUR K. DAME, CHARLES R. SCI-IAEFFER. 

